Zhengzhou to Trial 20 Yutong New Hydrogen Buses

August 17, 2018 | China: Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. (Yutong), a large-scale modern bus manufacturing company located in Zhengzhou in China’s Henan province, says Zhengzhou Public Transportation Corporation (ZPTC) will put into use two hydrogen fuel cell buses in the city this week. The start-up will be followed by a further 18 buses as part of a commercial demonstration operation.

This is the first time Zhengzhou has operated hydrogen powered buses, which have been independently developed by Yutong. Compared to full electric buses with 200km driving range after being charged for two hours, the hydrogen fuel cell buses boast 500km driving range and less than 10 minutes refueling time. Apart from these two advantages, this new energy bus has also achieved zero pollution and “negative” emissions. Improvements have been achieved in terms of vehicle safety, acceleration, shock absorption and convenience, passenger and driver comfort and user-friendly experience.

“During operation, these buses effectively remove ultra-fine dust smaller than PM2.5, and emit clean water and air,” said Guo Yongshan from the New Energy Product Department of Yutong Company.

According to Wang Shuzheng, head of the Fleet Management Department of the 4th Company of Zhengzhou Public Transportation Corporation, the newly used buses are equipped with air suspension instead of steel leaf springs, enabling the vehicle to run more stably. Under normal running status, the chassis is less than twenty centimetres above the ground, making it easier for passengers to get on and off the vehicle.

Taking the physically challenged passengers into consideration, the vehicle also has a ‘kneeling’ function to reduce the body floor by ten centimeters on the service door side, thus facilitating their boarding and alighting. A manually controlled ramp assists with wheelchair access.

Furthermore, the vehicle is equipped with four hydrogen leakage sensors. When the hydrogen concentration reaches 1.6%, an alarm is triggered. When it reaches 2%, the hydrogen supply will be cut off and the alarm on the dashboard will alert the driver to take corresponding measures as soon as possible. In addition, the vehicle is also provided with two sets of video surveillance systems, and in total seven cameras are available to provide overall surveillance so as to guarantee the safety of the vehicle.